Title: The Land of Clouds and Jewels
Title: The Land of Clouds and Jewels
Pairing(s): Seto/ Jou
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Yu-Gi-Oh Characters, or characters from Jackie French' book Slave Girl,
Summary: When your world is mixed with the un-common, what do you do? Who do you turn to? More importantly how do you learn to live again?
Authors notes: THE first few chapters of this story are based heavily on a novel by Jackie French called Slave Girl, I loved reading the story originally and it is a really good read if any of you want to look it up, however as I read my mind began to wander – and this is where it ended up. Somewhere between the "Chase is on" and "Under sail" does my version kick in – I hope you enjoy.
If Welsh phrases have been used there will be a note at the bottom of the chapter, which will be the nearest accurate translation.
I would love to hear what you think about this guys – please please review – I like reviews …
~In the beginning …~
The blonde sat on the rocks by the shore, his hair blowing wildly in the breeze; he let his eyes follow the clouds as they floated on the far horizon. His Pa had once sung a song about a land of cloud, where fish swam through the air and jewels grew on trees.
Joey was not sure what jewels were – types of cheese, perhaps – for Pa had died before he could ask him. But every time the clouds hung on the horizon, Joey dreamt that they were the islands Pa had told him about. One day, he thought, I will ask to sail a boat out to the horizon and I will step out onto the cloudland and pick the jewels …
Joey smiled to himself and picked up his cockle stick. At this rate the tide would be in before he had his basket half full.
Then he saw a puppy.
He was the smallest dog the boy had ever seen, and he had the fattest belly too. It almost dragged along the pebbles as the puppy stumbled from the Chief's hut down to the shore.
Joey put down his bag of shellfish and watched the pup toddle across the salty, damp stones, sniffling as he went. And then he found it. A dead seal pup, half buried in a drift of seaweed, with the waves lapping just below. None of the village folk ate seals – too many of their families, they said, were descended from seal ancestors. Which meant that rich and meaty as this seal was, no one had come to eat it.
The boy watched as the puppy nuzzled at the seal, trying to find a way into the good meat. But the furry sealskin was too tough for his small jaws and tiny milk teeth. He was almost ready to give up when he found a soft patch, where the skin had rotted through …
"Craaaarrrrk!"
The pup paid no attention
"Craaaarrrrk!" The seagull was closer now, and angry. It wanted that seal for itself.
"Grrr," Snarled the puppy warningly, lifting up his tiny nose
"Keeerk!" shrieked the bird. It flew at the pup and pecked his eye.
The puppy screamed. The bird pecked again, this time at the pup's leg and rounded stomach, and then once more at his eyes. The pup tried to stumble away. He couldn't run, for one leg dragged behind. Nor could he see because of the blood.
Joey grabbed a stone and threw it as hard as she could. "Get away from him!" The bird gave a startled squawk and flapped away. The puppy cowered, whimpering, by the drifts of seaweed.
Joey ran towards him, his shellfish forgotten and picked him up carefully. Blood welled from above his eye and his torn leg dangled limply. The puppy yelped with pain.
"Let me see!" It was the chief. He grabbed the pup by the scruff of the neck. The puppy yelped louder as the Chief's hand pulled at his injured leg.
"He's lamed and blinded. Stupid animal, he's good for nothing now." The chief's voice was angry. The pup had been worth a good calf, or more. "He's not worth feeding. There's only one thing for him …" said the Chief as his hands closed around the puppy's throat.
"No!" Joey's voice was high and fierce "You can't kill him!"
The Chief stared at him. "He's mine. I can do what I like with him."
"I'll look after him! Please! I'll make him better!"
"Pa?" It was Gwynwr. He must have been watching from the hut, "Let Joey have the pup if he wants it. It's no good to us."
The Chief paused, and then dumped the puppy in Joey's arms.
The pup had stopped whimpering now and was limp and still. Was he dead already?
The Chief shrugged. "Keep him then. He's done for anyway," He turned and stamped off up the shore.
